History of Marine View

[Taken from the "God in Action" publication celebrating our 50th Anniversary (2004)]

"The kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed which man planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows it is the largest of garden plants and when it grows it becomes a tree so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches." Matthew 13:31,32

Like the mustard seed, our beginnings were small.  In the past 50 years, that seed has grown into a tree large enough to hold birds in its branches.  Yes, this little kingdom of God has grown into a church of many members.

Our roots are strong and have sprouted from the sweat, toil and spiritual insight of a hnadful of people.  As you will see in the following pages, those who went before us were thoroughly nourished by God's living water, which strengthened our roots, trunks and branches and produced fruit.

As we look forward to the next 50 years, please pray that we will continue to draw from God's word and the living water Christ provides, enabling this tree to produce an abundant and growing harvest in God's Kingdom.

IN THE BEGINNING. . .

Original Sunday School Building

Like the tiny mustard seed, MVPC had very small and simple beginnings.  At that time, the Points were beautifully wooded with only a fringe of houses on each one.  It was an attractive recreational area and many of the homes were summer places.  Among the permanent residents were those whom God was calling to provide an organized method of teaching their children about Christ.  In 1922 a Sunday School was started in the Dash Point School which is presently a private home at the turn of the road on Markham Ave.

Parents began praying for adult worship to accompany the Sunday School.  Prominent among those praying were Mrs. Hillis, Mrs. Newcome and Jessie Austin.  While they prayed, Mr. A.A. Hart walked the hills of Dash Point visiting the residents and promoting the idea of a community church.  The Dash Point Community Church was formally organized at a dinner meeting at the Dash Point Hall in 1924.  Although there was much interest by Presbyterian officials and local Tacoma churches, residents insisted on being a non-denominational community church.

With the donation of land by Claude Austin, and the donations of the faithful, as well as our sponsoring church, First Presbyterian of Tacoma, work soon began on the original wooden church located on the present church site.  Since work was scarce in the mid-twenties, volunteer labor was quite plentiful.  Men and women, eager to have their own place to worship, gave generously of their time and talent and he church was dedicated in record time on July 6, 1925.

First Little Brown Church

Sunday School classes met weekly and worship services were held monthly or bimonthly when pastors were available.  Rev. C. W. Johnson, a missionary for the Indian Mission, lived in Dash Point and most often preached at the Sunday Services.  Guest preachers were often contacted and Dorothy Sullivan remembers standing on the road to hail them down so they wouldn't by-pass the church.  If no one came, members would pinch-hit and lead the services.

For thirty years there were no hired employees.  All work and organization was done through the love and hard work of members dedicated to their Lord and His church.  Families rotated on a monthly schedule, cleaning the church, dusting and polishing until it sparkled for Sunday morning services.  Janet Rhea recalls that every year they planned on getting a "church" vacuum cleaner, but it didn't actually happen until 1954.  Lucille Hausfeld played the piano and directed the choir of 6-10 people.

ON BECOMING PRESBYTERIANS

In 1954, this little growing church decided that they should affiliate with a Protestant Church denomination and began to investigate possibilities.  They soon learned that the Presbyterians had purchased a lot on the hill across from the present Brown's Point Elementary School.  Dr. Long from Immanuael Presbyterian Church in Tacoma, which had bought the largest share of the lot commented, "We want it to be on the highest hill in the area so when the Pope comes around  Point Robison on Vashon Island, he will see the Presbyterian Cross and turn around."

About this time, a group of men from the Presbyterian Synod Committee on New Church Development, got wind of the church's desire to affiliate with a denomination and paid a visit to Marty Sullivan, Secretary of the Trustees.

Marty was informed by his visitors that if the church became Presbyterian, they would have to deed the property and church over to the Olympia Presbytery.  After a brief discussion of a future need for a new building, Marty began bargaining with the Synod Executive, Dr. Clarence Polhemus.  "If we deed our property free and clear over to the Olympia Presbytery, then we feel it is only fair that the Presbytery should continue to own the lot in Brown's Point until such time as we have to build a new church building.  At that time, the Presbytery should sell the lot and the money from the sale should go into our building fund."

Dr. Polhemus immediately replied, "Absolutely not.  We won't accept that arrangement!"

Two days later, a member from the Presbytery Committee came back to Marty, "Sullivan, you are the most hard-nosed, wheeler-dealer I have ever known.  But the Synod and Presbytery accept your proposal.  If your congregation agrees to negotiation, you will become Presbyterians."

The congregation unanimously accepted the proposal and on September 12, 1954 we became Marine View Presbyterian Church.  True to their word, when we built our large sanctuary, the Presbytery sold the lot, and $12,500  went into our building fund.

CHARTER MEMBERS

Adams, Elsie                                         Melvin, Margaret

Andrews, Robert & Gertrude,               Mildon, Helen

                Mark & Marsha

Andrews, Minnie                                   Mildon, Donald

Austin, Robert & Helen                         Moll, Karl & Lynn*

Austin, John                                          Mulligan, Ken & Louise

Austin, William & Louise                       Pearson, Alice

Bisson, Percy & Laura                          Peterson, Hans

Bock, Celia                                           Petterson, Susan

Breckenridge, Bertha                            Reay, Janet*

Carlborn, Mabel & Lawrence &           Sanders, Stanton

 

               Jacqueline

DeVries, Donald & Betty*                    Schwarz, AC & Alice

Dexter, Edna                                         Smith, David & Sarah

Feutz, Foster & Helen                           Sharmon, GE & Edith & Helen

Flynn, Janet                                           Smith, Houston & Mae

Galt, WJ & Betty                                  Smith, Janet

Gamen, Cherrie                                     Stein, Emma

Gay, Ethel                                             Stern, Delight

Hausam, Larry & Winifred                    Sullivan, Martin & Dorothy & John &

                                                                          Patricia, Robert & Michael

Hausfield, Elmer & Lucille & Gordon*  Tunstall, Viola

Horr, Clifford & Dorothy                      Tunstall, Lionel

Johnson, Amalia                                    Van Bevers, Marcia

Klumb, Donald & Frances & Karen      Wagner, Rolland & Irene, Donald, Judith

Larson, Ellen                                         Walker, Howard & Rose

Martin, Elspeth                                      Wolfe, Lucille

*indicates a charter member still living

God in Action:

There was a small bell tower on the little brown church and the roof began to leak around the edge of the tower.  Don Liss and Harold Sandberg began to fix it with tar and an acetylene torch.  Unbeknownst to them, fumes had built up under the tower and the whole thing went off like a rocket and started a fire.  Don yelled for Harold to hand him the hose.  When he did, instead of bending like a hose normally would, it went straight up like a pipe.  The men put out the fire and knew that, once again, God had saved their little church.

The winter after the sanctuary was built, it was so cold the "wells" which supplied the water for the Point, froze and the Point was without water for some time.  One Saturday during the same period, the heating system in the church also froze.  Don Liss, Bill Austin and Ray Rayment borrowed some acetylene torches  and used them to thaw the pipes in both the "wells" and the church.  Sunday morning the church was warm and the deision was made to leave the heat on   when it got so cold.

 

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More Coming Soon!!!!!!